The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-16
ANOTHER NEW GAS SCHEME
Major Doxey Proposes to Bring the Fuel
to the City in Three Months.
He Announces that He Will Accept the Coun-
cils Gas Ordinance and Asks the Coop
Grafton of Citizens in His Plans.

have natural gas in use in Indianapolis next
winter If he receives sufficient encouragement
to warrant his putting into operation plan
that he is now engaged in presenting TO citizens
interested in having the fuel brought here. He
claims for his scheme the merit of being the
most feasible the most profitable and
the most satisfactory method of supply
ing the fuel to the public. He has
opened an office at No. II North Meridian street,
and announces that he mas come to the city
with the determination of connecting Indian
apolis with the gas field with as little delay as
possible. His first move in this undertaking is
somewhat more reassuring than any that has
been made by other companies proposing to pipe
gas to the city He announces that he will
accept the ordinance passed by the Council and
Board of Aldermen, but will ask q few minor
amendments to the measure. in no way affecting
the scale of prices. He says he believes that the
ordinance is based upon fair and equit-
able principles. fully protecting the city.
the consumer and the furnisher of
he continues, "are comparatively low and all ma
terial points well guarded, and with the proper
encouragement and support at the hands of cti-
zens, this company is willing to accept the ordi-
nance, with minor amendments suggested,
and assist in solving the problem of cheap natu-
raj gas at an early date. We are convinced that
supply of gas sufficient for the cty's purposes
is obtainable only from the true gas district of
Indiana. Careful examination of all the wells
drilled aI,ls,sh in and out OF the 49, district,
ern boundary of the paying dis
trict is on line running from Munce, west to
Noblesville. with the Anderson field about
the center and north of the line Actual meas
urement also shows that the wells il the An
derson field are far superior in volume to those
drilled at Muncie kokomo Marion or Mobiles
vile. The five wells drilled at Anderson show
q combined output of over forty-one million
cubic feet of natural gas every twenty-four
hours. Twenty thousand cubic feet of natural
gas is equal to the heat of ton of coal, thus
making daily flow of gas equal to more than
two thousand tons of coal, one hundred car
loads of coal. twenty tons to the car. per day."
In explaining the plan proposed to the public
by his company, Major Doxey SAYS: "It ls self
evident that person or corporation would agree
to pipe natural gas to the doors and shops in the
city. and run the risk of being crushed out by
larger and wealthier corporations, unless the
earnest, active cooperation OF the people is en-
listed in behalf of such person corporation.
To enlist this cooperation must deal directly
with the people, asking nothing unfair or I'M
reasonable. Our proposition is two-fold in it's
one b1 offer being cnn,raa
for three years or more. at the rates
established by the city ordinance; to those
who desire to join with us and share the full
benefits offer the opportunity for the
taking Of perpetual paid-up gas CO ntract
upon the following basis: individuals or cor
porations who will contract for five years,
the perpetual free use Of gas SO long the
same exists and be obtained by boring ad-
ditonal wells in the gas district. EN- braced in the
counties of Hamilton. Madison. Grant and Della
ware. And such contracts are to be first lien on
all the property of said company secured by
mortgage executed to trustee or trustees and re-
corded in all the counties in which such property
is situated the money to be deposited by the
contracting party in one Of the city banks. to be
paid out by the bank the work progresses
npon proper vouchers for material labor and
expense attendant upon the construction of a
pipe line into your city. and piping the streets
of Indianapolis. These, in brief, the
tial points of our proposition, and we present
these offers for the consideration of every coh--
sumner of gas. believing that they will avail
themselves of the opportunity to accept
the other of the propositions made and il the
cooperation is prompt and energetic. our COM
pany will promise the construction, by Dec. !,
of pipe line from the gas district to Indianapo-
lis, backed mp with completed gas wells sufficient
to furnish flow of hundred millions os
cubic feet of gas every twenty-four hours.
The perpetual paid-up gas contract" proposed
by Major Doxey provides that the sum for
which the certificate is issued shall be paid in
four installments within sixty days. These
certificates secure to the holder the perpetual
use of gas without continuous payment, and this
guarantee from the company is secured by a
deed of trust or mortgage, constituting first
lien upon the company's property. The
certificates may be transferred in whole or in
part at the option OF the holder 1T is simply
an investment" explains Major Doxey, ION
which the certificate holder draws daily divi-
valuable. have no doubt that they will be
worth five times their cost within a year" The
holders of these certificates. however, will have
no voice in the management of the companys
affairs
Persons who do not want the paid-up certifi.
Gates will be furnished gas under contract,
according to the schedale of rates established in
the city ordinance. and for this purpose blanks
have been prepared. at makes material diff
ference to the company" Major Daxey says,
which of these methods of taking gas citizens
subscribe to, but there is no doubt in my mind
that the paid up certificate is very much better
for the consumer. However, want them to
give US their patronage in one of the two ways"
One of the amendments to the present ordi-
nance that will be asked by Major Doxey relates
to the right reserved to consumers to demand a
meter at any time at the expense of the COM
pany. This, he saws, imposes hardship on the
company. because it would probably necessitate
the purchase of several thousand meters,
which are quite expensive. If the consumer
will be required to bear the cost of purchasing
the meter there will be no objection to its
The company will also ask the Council to re-
frain from taxing its mains at the rate of
three cents per foot after five years, as pro-
vided in the ordinance 1t will require two
hundred miles of mains to fully supply Indian
epolis At the rate of taxation mains pro-
posed. the company would be liable for $31. $50
per annum The ordinance makes it requisite
on the part of the company to extend its mains
in citizens demand facilities for gas. The
tax on these extensions might frequently cost
the company more than the income from the
particular patrons for whose benefit the extern
sion had been made.
Major Doxey says that he has already received
considerable encouragement from manufacturers
and business men, and he is confident that his
company will have piped to the city and in
use next winter Mr.. F. C. Atkins
strongly indorses Major Doxeys method
of supplying the new fuel, and states
that he will invest in pad-up certificates for
all the gas that he will need in his mauufactur-
ing business. If sufficient encourageme il
received the company will at once begin laying
pi pes from Anderson to this city and the line
could be completed, it is believed, within sixty
days.
Patriotic Celebrations in Mexico.